


at beck & call

by n7punk



Series: Outside of the War - She-ra canon stories [24]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Fluff, Great powers and very little responsibility, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:02:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25978675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/n7punk/pseuds/n7punk
Summary: Adora turns into She-ra for stupid reasons and while this may not be new, it is gettingworse.AKA Adora using her powers for TRUE good.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Series: Outside of the War - She-ra canon stories [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1793227
Comments: 19
Kudos: 446





	at beck & call

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been wanting to write a fic mostly devoted to Adora being a himbo lesbian for a while now and I finally found the vehicle for it. I call Adora a dumb jock out of pure affection – love that for her, and also for me, and for any potential girlfriend please and thank you.

The thing is, Adora has never been particularly _discriminatory_ with when she turns into She-ra. She does it whenever necessary, in battle or when her strength is needed, like when she carried supplies out to Plumeria. Once she gets used to transforming the sword, she starts using it whenever it could be helpful, even transforming it into a pole vault to jump over a creek without getting her boots wet. So yes, she has a history of transforming when she does not strictly _need_ to, but whenever it could be helpful.

Then she breaks the sword, and loses her, and gets her _back_ at the same time as Catra. Honestly, it is just as much about getting Catra back as it is about getting She-ra back. For the first few days after the war, Adora feels She-ra coming out whenever her heart begins bursting with love, Catra often triggering the beginning of the transformation.

That is what opens the floodgates. After a few accidental transformations, after the discovery she can just transform without even needing to call out for the sword or the long-used catchphrase, it becomes easier to bring She-ra out whenever she needs to, or wants to, or someone _else_ wants her to.

That is how Glimmer walks in on Catra and Adora – or rather, Catra and She-ra – in the castle kitchens, baking.

“ _What_ are you doing?” Glimmer asks, eyebrows almost in her hair line as she stares incredulously.

“Don’t worry, Adora isn’t touching anything. Nothing will burn down,” Catra promises her, absently, not looking up from where she is carefully kneading the dough. Adora sends Glimmer a thumbs up and a _what she said_ smile. She was unofficially banned from any further attempts at cooking shortly after joining the Rebellion. Catra, however, found her way into the kitchens after just a few days because she hated the idea of being reliant on other people to feed herself in this brave new world of _meals_ and _ingredients_. Catra is brand-new to this, learning largely under Bow’s instruction, but apparently Scorpia had suggested she tried breadmaking because she thought Catra would enjoy baking it, despite being a little intolerant to actually eating grain.

Scorpia had been right. After Catra asked Bow about it over dinner, Micah had stepped in excitedly, apparently an avid baker himself. Something about magic rituals similar to baking that devolved into a hobby – Adora had not been listening, too absorbed in watching Catra’s eyes light up with interest as she talked with the former king. Now, she is here in the kitchens with Catra as Catra tries one of his recipes on her own for the first time.

Glimmer face palms. Adora carefully keeps her hands in sight – she _really_ is not touching anything. She promised Glimmer three years ago she wouldn’t, and she promised Catra last night when they talked about this that she would let her do it all on her own.

“No, Catra, what is _She-ra_ doing here?” Glimmer manages, gesturing with exasperation in Adora’s direction. Adora blinks at her, wide-eyed, somehow feeling _caught_.

“She’s taller,” Catra responds, looking up now for long enough to throw a smirk Glimmer’s way. Adora has minor heart palpitations at the flash of fangs she sees.

Glimmer’s eye is twitching in a way it has not since the war. Catra’s teasing always has that effect on her. Adora quickly jumps in. “I’m not supposed to touch anything, but a lot of the baking supplies are kept on pretty high shelves, and Catra didn’t want to leave scratches in anything by climbing them, so I’m here to fetch things for her. I promise I’m not touching anything but what Catra needs,” Adora assures Glimmer. The eye twitch stops. Adora swears she sees eyebags just _materialize_ on Glimmer’s face, but the younger woman snorts as she turns away.

“You know what? Sure, this is She-ra’s job for the afternoon. Sous chef to the Royal Advisor. I’ll be in my office in case Adora _does_ touch something,” Glimmer calls back, raising a hand in an indistinct wave and retreating from the kitchen.

“I won’t!” Adora promises as Glimmer’s back retreats from view.

\--

One day Castaspella walks into the gardens to see Adora – She-ra – standing in the middle of the koi pond, dripping wet. She blinks for a moment and then proceeds to turn around and walk back towards the castle.

“I didn’t want to get my clothes wet!” Adora calls after her.

Before she dives back under the water to continue her search for the ball Scorpia had been using to play fetch with Emily, she hears her call back, “I didn’t ask!”

\--

The thing is, Bow is _really_ smart. Like maybe even Entrapta level smart, if in different ways. Adora doesn’t feel bad that Bow can understand things that just completely fly over her head – that is expected when you are anybody but Bow and Entrapta. And maybe Catra – the technical specifications are beyond her too, but she seems to understand the intuition behind the things Entrapta says. Or maybe she has just learned how to translate the princess’s tangents.

The point is, Adora does not feel bad, or bitter, or even _disgruntled_ that she has no idea why she is standing here, holding a scanner dish in the air while she waits for Bow to wave her down to indicate he has picked up whatever vital information the heavy piece of tech is scanning for. She just is starting to feel tired, standing out in the sun so long with her arms held aloft. She is strong, with stamina for days, but standing _still_ is a whole other matter outside of strength and stamina. Her arms are not necessarily tired, but _she_ is, and she does not know how much longer Bow will need her to be here.

So yes, maybe she lets her eyes slip closed, and maybe when she opens them again she is two feet taller. Bow is further down the hill, back turned to her as he studies the outputs on his little field station. The researcher he is working with seems to be absorbed in the screens as well, and Catra wandered off an hour ago fetch some scrolls from the researcher’s lab back in the village. She should be back soon, but no one is watching Adora _right now_.

So she turns into She-ra, because the electric current of magic around her is almost enough to elevate the boredom and weird, not-physical exhaustion. She fixes her gaze on the ground at her feet, focusing on the grass and weeds springing up around her feet and trying to pulse her magic into them. After Adora released the Heart and plants sprung up _everywhere_ , Perfuma theorized that maybe She-ra’s healing magic was better referred to as _life_ magic. Since then, Adora has been experimenting, a little, but she has mostly been too busy to worry about it.

She is not busy right now. She focuses on a daisy at her feet, watching it slowly open its bud and bloom. It is not quite growing, but that is Perfuma’s job – it _is_ life. Adora watches the weeds dance around her, not growing, but swaying gently in the breeze and blooming slowly but steadily.

“What, can’t hold a little scanner for an hour?” Catra teases from behind her. Adora startles, but she does not drop the dish, even if it moves a bit in her surprise. She blinks down as Catra’s arms come to wrap around her hips, her girlfriend pressing up against her back.

“Uh, no?” Adora tries, reaching her free hand to lay it over Catra’s. Catra makes an amused sound at her back, shifting to tuck against her side, under Adora’s raised arm. She squints up at Adora as Adora continues to blink down at her, cheeks warm with embarrassment.

“Oh? What are you doing, then?” Catra questions, smirk firmly in place and amusement evident. Her tail is flicking behind her.

“Growing. Or, blooming? The plants,” Adora explains eloquently, even though Catra is _right_ , it is just complicated. She gestures down to her feet as she speaks, bringing her hand back up to Catra’s after the gesture is complete. She likes holding her hand.

Catra blinks at her, and then looks down. Adora follows her gaze, trying to narrow her focus again, though it is difficult with Catra’s warmth pressed again her. Still, having Catra just touching her casually like this makes her chest feel warm and full, and it is enough of a boost that the faint golden glow returns, the plants seeming to shift beneath her attention as they bloom and turn towards their new sun – towards Adora.

“Whoa,” Catra whispers softly.

\--

After a debate that lasts almost as long as the game would have taken, Adora is allowed to be She-ra for the post-Alliance meeting ice-ball game. The teams are uneven and skewed against her, but she wins the first match. She picks Catra up for celebratory kisses before she bounds back over for the second match. This time they draw, the imbalance placed on She-ra apparently great enough to even the odds. She frowns in disappointment when she looks up the hill to where Catra is lounging and her girlfriend waves her off with a smirk – no celebratory kisses for her, then.

The third match, she decimates.

\--

Adora is relieved that Catra feels comfortable enough in Bright Moon castle to just be herself, running on all fours as she goes skittering down the hall, cackle ringing out behind her. That does not mean Adora is going to let her _win_. She takes off after her girlfriend, feet pounding into the stone, now scuffed with claw marks, as she chases Catra.

Catra has always been fast, but she has an even greater advantage on all-fours, and Adora knows the chase is pointless with Catra like this – and her like this.

So yes, she whispers under her breath “For the honour of Grayskull!” as she runs, and her thundering footsteps echo louder as her stride grows longer. Not only are She-ra’s legs longer, but she is also just innately faster, and Adora manages to keep up with Catra until Catra glances back over her shoulder to throw a taunt and she catches sight of She-ra. Catra’s eyes go wide and her feet skitter out from under her, giving Adora the time she needs to surge forward and scoop Catra up off the ground before she can go somersaulting from her stumble. Catra _squeaks_.

“That’s- cheating!” Catra accuses, utterly breathless and staring up at her with a flush. Adora smirks down at her.

“That’s _winning_ ,” she corrects, leaning down to kiss Catra as she cradles her against her chest. Catra is still breathless and panting, whining a little in protest into the kiss, but she does her best to match Adora.

“Can you two not do – whatever this is, in the hall?” a voice comes from behind them. Adora freezes, a blush rising on her face now as she pulls back from Catra to look over her shoulder. General Juliet stands behind her, looking exasperated and longsuffering.

“Tag?” Adora tries, with a sheepish smile. She does not mean for it to come out as a question – it is _true_ , if an unannounced game – but the General looks thoroughly unconvinced. Catra has not tried to get down from her hold, but Adora does not risk looking back down at her. At least Adora’s back is shielding her largely from the General’s judgement, even if her tail is draped over Adora’s arm and flicking.

“She-ra plays tag,” the General says, raising an eyebrow as she does not bother to ask it like a question. Adora just nods. Juliet sighs, waving a hand in the air as she turns around and walks away. “I won’t tell the queen if you don’t,” she calls back towards them.

Adora does not know why either of them would mention this to Glimmer, but she just calls a bright “Thanks!” to the retreating woman before finally looking down at Catra again. Catra looks far too amused by the exchange.

“Serves you right for cheating,” she taunts. Adora just rolls her eyes in exasperation, but she is smiling as she pulls Catra into another kiss.

\--

Glimmer has a piece of paper on her desk labeled _Incident Report_ when Adora comes wandering into her office looking for Catra. The moment her eyes land on Catra a thread passes between them and Adora realizes this was a trap. Glimmer held Catra back at the end of the day so Adora would come looking for them.

“Adora, care to explain why a sports ball went rocketing through the café in Town Circle this morning?” Glimmer asks, voice serene and smile _sharp_. Adora flushes.

“I got… competitive,” Adora mumbles, rubbing the back of her neck and looking away. Catra’s snort of laughter is not stifled by her hand in the slightest, but she pretends.

“Competitive enough to turn into She-ra for a match between local teenagers that you involved yourself in?” Glimmer asks. She looks utterly exasperated. Adora throws her hands in the air.

“They _asked_!” she defends. It is no defense and they both know it.

\--

Adora is, effectively, a jungle-gym at the moment. She stands – _She-ra_ stands – with her arms outstretched, two small kids hanging off one arm and a pup halfway up her shoulders, claws digging into her back. She does not mind – she is used to claws by now. The _children_ part is new, but their parents are all nearby if something happens.

It is a festival, and the Best Friend Squad is supposed to be taking the day off to have fun, but getting recognized is inevitable when they make their way into crowds. People usually do not come up to Glimmer – being recognized as the queen has the advantage of silent respect – but people stop Adora and Bow to thank She-ra or the well-known rebellion soldier who broadcasted to the entire planet during the final battle. More people recognize Bow than Adora, truthfully, but apparently these kids were big She-ra fans.

So Adora had been stopped to transform for them and Glimmer and Catra wandered off to go on a ride together. When they returned Bow had been pulled into what seemed to be a very serious discussion about robotics to be having with a six-year-old pup – the older brother to the one currently on Adora’s shoulders – and Adora was covered in giggling children.

Adora spots Catra’s ears bobbing in the crowd and waves excitedly with her one free arm as the crowd parts enough for Catra to catch sight of her as well, Glimmer over her shoulder. Even from this distance, Adora can see Catra flushing as she realizes she is the current center of Adora’s attention. Her ears drop in embarrassment as Glimmer leans towards her ear, shit-eating grin spreading on her face as she no doubt makes a comment. Catra shoves her as they approach.

“Here, let me take this rascal back,” the parent of the pup on her shoulders says, glancing between Adora and the direction of her gaze. Adora tries not to let out a sigh of relief, because she really does like kids, but she would like to get back to her double date, now.

Adora crouches to let the kids on her arm get down on their own – at their insistence – and drops the transformation to hug them both safely before they run back off to their parents. Finally free of children, she turns back to find Glimmer and Catra have reached them, and Bow is done with his robotics discussion. He has Glimmer’s hand in his now, beaming at her while she gushes about how fun the ride was.

Catra is standing a few feet from her, blush still blazing on her face and ears limp beside her head. Her whole energy is flustered and, apparently, speechless as she continues to just stare at Adora. Adora peers at her questioningly as she closes the distance between them, taking both her girlfriend’s hands in her own.

“You okay?” she asks, confused and a bit nervous. She knows crowds are far from Catra’s favourite. Maybe Adora directing a stranger’s attention towards her was too much-

“You, uh, you were good. With the kids, I mean,” Catra manages, gaze turning to the side as the blush becomes _furious_ now. Adora blinks down at her, realization dawning on her face.

“Yeah?” she questions, a little breathlessly. Catra scoffs, but it does nothing to hide her current state. The guise of disinterest is enough to let her finally meet Adora’s eyes again.

“Don’t get your hopes up yet, princess,” Catra tells her, rolling her eyes. She is smiling.

\--

“Glimmer’s going to be so mad when we get back,” Catra chuckles beside her. Normally it is a comment she would whisper into her ear, but Adora is kind of a few feet too tall for that right now.

“Because I ruined the dress she got me _specifically_ for this ball, or because of how I chose to deal with it?” Adora asks, throwing a smile to the ambassador looking their direction as she directs Catra through the crowd so they can find a balcony or at least somewhere less crowded. She-ra was not an ideal solution – they are getting far too much attention for Adora’s awkward social skills – but it was better than turning up in a very recently stained and ripped dress.

“Both, definitely, but mostly for the dress I think,” Catra clarifies. After a moment, a wicked grin spreads across her face. “Unless you want to go to the dance floor and make sure the scale is firmly tipped toward the She-ra side.”

“Uh,” is the best protest Adora can manage, staring down at her girlfriend’s mischievous smirk and feeling all the parts of her brain that should be signaling warnings promptly shut off.

Catra drags her to the dance floor, and Glimmer is definitively madder about the She-ra solution than the dress.

\--

When they were kids, Catra used to knead her claws absently into any soft surface before her whenever she was content or anxious. The habit fell away over the years, but it occasionally resurfaces. When they were young, Catra started by digging into the mattress, but after the punishment she received for ripping it, Adora insisted she knead on her instead. It felt nice, if painful whenever her claws broke through. Still, Adora was more than willing to undergo the rough pinpricks to receive the massage and help her friend.

Catra is laying on top of Adora, now, Adora stretched out on her back and stroking Catra’s hair soothingly as she kneads at the pillow on either side of Adora’s head. It is early evening, not even dinner time yet, but Catra had a trying time with flashbacks while tearing apart the Fright Zone today, so she pulled Adora into an embrace as soon as she returned and hissed when Glimmer tried to steal her away for some Royal Advisor business.

Catra growls in dissatisfaction above her and pulls back to narrow her eyes down at Adora, considering her for a moment. Adora blinks up at her, offering her girlfriend a small smile she hopes is soothing, waiting for Catra to voice what her current displeasure is.

“Can you turn into She-ra?” Catra asks. Adora blinks, startled, feeling a blush rise on her cheeks as her gaze wanders to the claw marks in the wall above their doorframe.

“Right now?” she asks, the implicit _why_ and expected answer already there. Catra pokes a claw into the center of her forehead.

“I want to knead. I don’t want to hurt you or keep ripping the bed up. I think you can take it as She-ra,” Catra explains, rolling her eyes. Adora feels her body relax. Not that she was _opposed_ right now, but it had not exactly felt like the time.

“I can take it anyway, but sure,” Adora tells her, smirking up at her girlfriend. Catra glares at her, which certainly does not incline her competitive spirit to drop it, but she wants to fulfill Catra’s request. She leans forward, nudging her nose against Catra’s cheek, and Catra tilts her head to meet her. Catra hums lightly into the kiss as the magic sparks beneath her skin, golden glow enveloping them. Adora pulls back from the kiss to find Catra blinking down at her, face lightly flushed.

“It’s still weird seeing you in full armour in the bed,” Catra tells her, already raising her hands to dig them into Adora’s sides. Catra ducks her head down into her neck, nuzzling and marking her happily as her hands begin to knead into her sides, claws points of pressure as she goes. Adora gasps a little at the purr vibrating forward from Catra’s chest into her own.

She settles on just humming lightly in reply, having no response to that comment that is not profoundly dirty. It is not the time. Catra just needs this, and Adora is happy to oblige her. Her claws do not hurt nearly as much in this form, and the kneading feels nice. She can tell Catra is being much harsher than she used to. It could just be her increased strength since the last time they did this, but Adora suspects this is why she asked her to transform: so she can truly work out whatever is bothering her right now. Adora releases a sigh of contentment as Catra gives her a massage that would be painful to anybody else.

When Glimmer knocks on their door and Adora calls her in without thinking, the queen practically screams, releasing a shrill noise of shock as she takes in Adora – _She-ra_ – splayed out in bed with slightly ripped clothes and Catra draped across her. Adora spends ten minutes trying to assure her it was not like that. Catra laughs the entire time.

“What, like you haven’t used magic in bed?” Catra eventually asks, eyes dancing with mirth. Glimmer flushes so fast that for a moment Adora considers she might pass out and then _flees_ the room. Catra’s cackle follows her.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic references some events of ["the other half of you (exposure therapy)"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25498135) if you are interested in some more detail.


End file.
